Courts

FBI: Santa Fe Man Charged In Three Bank Robberies

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FBI News:
 
Lester Padilla, 46, of Santa Fe, was arrested Oct. 2, 2019 on a federal criminal complaint charging him with three bank robberies committed last month.
 
The FBI with the assistance of the Española Police Department arrested Padilla in Santa Fe.
 
Padilla is charged with robbing Wells Fargo Bank Sept. 26, 2019 at 545 W. Cordova Road in Santa Fe; Wells Fargo Sept. 24, 2019 at 502 North Guadalupe St. in Santa Fe and Wells Fargo Sept. 9, 2019 at 645 N. Riverside Dr., in Española.
 
Padilla was expected to have an initial appearance Thursday in U.S. District Court in Albuquerque.
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Los Alamos Police Blotter: Sept. 25, 2019

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LAPD News:

The following information is provided by the Los Alamos Police Department.

Neither arrests nor charges indicate a conviction, and neither means that a person is guilty of the charges filed against them.

DOMINIQUE E. JOSEPHS

Sept. 25 at 1:05 p.m. / Police arrested Dominique E. Josephs, 25, of Los Alamos at 2500 Trinity Dr., on an outstanding Municipal Court warrant. Read More

Officials On Results Of Domestic Violence Warrant Round Up; Maria Elena Aragon Memorium Trainings

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STATE News:

  • Phase 2 of Statewide Violent Fugitive Round Up ‘Operation Steel Net’ Nets 39 Arrests of Offenders Accused of Domestic Violence

ALBUQUERQUE – Today, Attorney General Hector Balderas, in coordination with Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller, Sen. Antoinette Sedillo Lopez and the New Mexico Coalition Against Domestic Violence announced the results of phase two of Operation Steel Net.

This operation was a coordinated law enforcement effort between the Office of the Attorney General, the Albuquerque Police Department, the US Read More

Conservation Groups File Lawsuit To Protect Dunes Sagebrush Lizard In New Mexico And Texas

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A dunes sagebrush lizard. Courtesy/wikipedia
 
Defenders of Wildlife News:
 
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Conservation groups filed a lawsuit in federal district court Tuesday challenging the Trump administration’s continued failure to protect severely imperiled dunes sagebrush lizards under the Endangered Species Act.
 
The groups petitioned the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (the Service) to list the species as threatened or endangered in May 2018. The agency had 90 days to determine whether the petition showed the lizard could warrant listing, and if so, initiate a status
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AG Balderas Files Brief In U.S. Supreme Court To Preserve DACA And Protect DREAMers

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Attorney General Hector Balderas

From the Office of Attorney General Hector Balderas:

ALBUQUERQUE – Attorney General Hector Balderas, joining a coalition of 16 attorneys general, announced today the filing of a brief in the United States Supreme Court in the coalition’s ongoing lawsuit to protect Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA).

The lawsuit, originally filed in September 2017 and to be heard by the Supreme Court this fall, argues that the Trump Administration’s attempt to revoke DACA was based on a faulty legal analysis and harmed State residents, institutions, and economies. Read More

State Legislators Ask Federal Court For Leave To File ‘Friends Of The Court’ Brief

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NMELC News:
 
SANTA FE ― Three State Legislators, Sen. Mimi Stewart, Sen. Antoinette Sedillo Lopez and Rep. Andrés Romero have asked the United States District Court for permission to file an Amici Curiae – “Friends of the Court” – Brief in a lawsuit involving toxic pollutants from two Air Force bases.
 
The Brief would support the legal action by the New Mexico Attorney General and the New Mexico Environment Department to compel the United States Air Force to conduct prompt investigation and cleanup of toxic pollutants at Cannon Air Force Base near Clovis, New Mexico, and Holloman
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Court-Ordered Injunction Halts Fuelwood Permit Sales

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A pair of Mexican spotted owls. Courtesy/NPS

SFNF News:

Under a recent court-ordered injunction, the five national forests in New Mexico and the Tonto National Forest in Arizona have suspended all permit sales for collecting fuelwood.

The federal court’s ruling is related to the recent court-ordered injunction in the case WildEarth Guardians vs. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, et al, concerning the Mexican spotted owl.

In addition to fuelwood permits, the six national forests have also suspended all timber management activities, including stewardship contracts, timber sales, Read More

Balderas Files Criminal Charges Against Rio Arriba Sheriff’s Deputy For Student Tasing Incident

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Attorney General Hector Balderas
 
AG News:
 
ALBUQUERQUE ― Attorney General Hector Balderas announced Wednesday that the Office of the Attorney General filed a criminal information against Rio Arriba Sheriff’s Deputy Jeremy Barnes for the May 2019 tasing of a special needs student at Española Valley High School.
 
Barnes faces felony charges for child abuse and false imprisonment, as well as charges of aggravated battery and violation of the Governmental Conduct Act.
 
“School should be a place where students feel safe and where law enforcement officials act
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Los Alamos Police Blotter: Sept. 20-24, 2019

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LAPD News:

The following information is provided by the Los Alamos Police Department.

Neither arrests nor charges indicate a conviction, and neither means that a person is guilty of the charges filed against them.

MATTHEW L. BARUZZINI

Sept. 20 at 3:12 a.m. / Police arrested Matthew L. Baruzzini, 39, of Los Alamos at 2500 Trinity Dr., on an outstanding Magistrate Court warrant from another jurisdiction.

 

 

LEON EPPIE VIGIL

Sept. 20 at 5:38 p.m. / Police arrested Leon Eppie Vigil, 25, of Espanola at 20th Street and Central Avenue and on an outstanding District Court warrant.

  Read More

Balderas Charges Roswell Couple Accused Of Stealing More Than $1 Million From Roswell Restaurant

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Attorney General Hector Balderas
 
AG News:
 
ALBUQUERQUE ― Attorney General Hector Balderas announced Monday that his office filed charges in Chaves County Magistrate Court, charging Brian Casaus (comptroller and office manager) and Tammy Casaus (payroll coordinator) with multiple felony crimes stemming from their theft from the Cattle Baron Restaurant in Roswell.
 
The two are charged with 28 and 24 felony counts, respectively, including for embezzlement, money laundering and tax fraud.
 
Brian Casaus worked as comptroller and office manager between 2012 and
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